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I've known of the existence of Prague's Café (Kavárna) Arco for years, but I've never quite known what to make of it. Housed in a somewhat faded building on a slightly seedy corner of Hybernská, across the street from Masarykovo nádraží, the café proudly displayed the name "Arco," but it was never clear whether the place was open or closed. In the early 20th century, this modest-looking setting was a gathering place for some of the city's most celebrated German-language writers, including a few household names. These days, the kitchen makes lunch for police officers and employees of the Interior Ministry.

Last week, I finally had a chance to poke around inside. The visit rekindled my curiosity about the people who once gathered here, the world they inhabited and what became of their café. Prague's great flex has always been its relatively ho-hum, almost neglectful attitude toward historic haunts like this, and the pleasure of "discovering" them for yourself. I did a little digging into Arco's past, and here's what I came up with.